Long time tech takes over the reins at Verona Computers

Julie Druker | Jan 13, 2016

by Julie Druker

Chad Newell, the long-time technician at Verona Computers, has recently taken over the reins as the business’s new owner.

The business was opened in 1995 as Verona Computer and Satellite by Tom Revell, who owned and operated it for nearly a decade before selling both the building and the business to Colin Bowe and Don Cox, who ran it as partnership. After some years the partnership dissolved and Bowe became sole owner.

Chad Newell began working at the store in 1998 as a grade 11 co-op student and has been working there ever since. When I interviewed him earlier this week, he joked that he has spent over half of his life working at Verona Computers. He also said that becoming its new owner was something he had been considering for some time.

“Colin, who was always a silent partner in the business, had been wanting to sell it to me for years so this is something that I have been considering for a while.”

Newell's interest in computers began when he was a grade seven student and got his first computer. He said it was gaming that motivated his interest into understanding how they operate. “Gamers are always upgrading their computers in order to play the newest, latest, and greatest games and over the years I spent a lot of time working on my own computers to do just that. So what started off as a hobby has become my passion.”

Newell said he is excited to be Verona Computer’s new owner. “Financially, it will eventually be a bigger pay cheque for me once I get the business paid off, and the fun thing for me will be having control of the business and being able to improve certain aspects of it.”

Streamlining service and service charges and keeping quality and service high going forward is what Newell is aiming for. “Our strength has always been our service and it is usually faster and better then most big box stores. Our turn around on service calls is usually in the range of a day or two, where at other larger stores it can take one of two weeks.”

Not everyone is aware that Newell custom builds new computers, which he says cost a little bit more than most brand names due to using higher quality parts. However, this results in computers that last a lot longer than most name brand computers.

He sells both new and used desk top and lap top computers and his custom tailored desk tops are a big draw for customers. “Our new computers are built to spec to what people need, and not more. If what you need is a basic computer to get on the computer and do email, you really do not need all of the things that just look good on paper. With that in mind, we don't try to up sell to our customers; instead we aim to target people’s specific needs.” The business also sells a wide range of peripheral and add on components like printers, routers, networking tools as well as battery back ups, speakers, keyboards, mice, flash drives, video cards and more. The main focus, though, is on service and clean ups, upgrades and repairs, which are a big part of the service aspect of the business.

Verona Computers offers on site service visits at home and at businesses, and pick up and delivery is also available. Newell has won over a number of loyal customers over the years and he said that “good word of mouth” is how he keeps customers coming back and also how he attracts new customers. “I really appreciate our loyal customers; without them there would be no Verona Computers. My belief is that when one customer is convinced of what our service is worth, they will spread the word and that means a lot more to me than anything else.”

Finding a good and trustworthy computer technician is comparable to finding a good and trustworthy mechanic, especially when owners are ignorant of the inner workings of their machines - and especially these days when people are relying on their computers not only for their everyday work but for their everyday communications. “Anything that is sufficiently complicated is kind of like magic to someone who doesn't know anything about it and that is where people can be taken advantage of. I am not that kind of person and people know that and that is why they keep coming back.”

Verona Computers is located at 6772 Hwy 38 in Verona. Business hours are Monday through Friday from 10am-6pm. For more information call 613-374-3253 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.